Mobile outer circle speakers’ attitudes towards different varieties of English

The focus of this PhD project lies on anglophone Africans in Europe and their attitudes towards different varieties of English. The African diaspora in Europe constitutes a particularly interesting site to investigate the interaction and status of different varieties of English as speakers of English from the so-called outer circle come into contact not only with different languages, but also with a number of varieties of English here. Varieties from their countries of origin and destination as well as a number of other varieties (e.g. American English through the media or other immigrant varieties through personal contact) interact and compete in these complex linguistic environments. And yet, outer circle diaspora contexts have received surprisingly little attention in previous attitude research. The aim of this project is to illuminate the role different varieties of English play for African outer circle speakers living in this diverse and globalized context. Moreover, the question is addressed which hierarchies and relationships between Englishes can be established on the basis of attitudinal factors. The empirical data is collected in African communities in Germany and the UK. A quantitative questionnaire-based accent rating study, in which vocal stimuli representing different (formal and informal) varieties of English are evaluated by rating scales, is combined with a qualitative approach employing semi-structured interviews.